The Platinum Heart
by ivvicessi
Summary: "I am the Wrath of God."
1. The Beginning

"This is a Ten Year SS Class job." Natsu stated.

Gray punched him in the shoulder, hard. "Yeah, he's made that clear already."

"For a lousy amulet?" Natsu inquired, raising a brow at him.

This time, it was Erza who socked him. "It's not just any amulet, nut-head. That's _Lucy's_ amulet we're talking about. It's the thing that leads us to her, right? Ten years is nothing for us."

Natsu sobered, silenced. The boredom drained out of his face.

Liv snapped her gum. "Look, little boy. Unlike these weirdoes who think ten years is nothing, I'm a completely normal person in the lesser half of Fairytail. We'll compromise and write a contract. Five years of servitude, and you give us the amulet. We swear on our guild to carry out the remaining five years of servitude after that."

The orphan boy, Leaf, cowered, eyes tearing up. "B-But… I…"

Erza shot Liv a look. "Olivia Silverfeather."

Liv shifted back in her seat, surrendering, avoiding the redhead's burning gaze.

"I-That's okay…" the orphan boy mumbled. "If you swear on your guild… Then I can trust it."

Natsu's face was shadowed. "Three decades for Lucy. Right then, we'll write the contract."

Gray summoned the contract scroll of Fairytail. "We hereby write a contract on the name of Fairytail. Leaf Ellwood will pass on the debt of his father to Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel, and Olivia Silverfeather. These four mentioned will thus serve under the one whom the debt is owed to for ten years and in return receive the Second Amulet of the Zodiacs after the time period of five years."

The five present people slit their thumbs and sealed the shimmering contract with blood—it dissipated into the air.

"Is that it?" Leaf asked nervously.

Gray gazed at the healing wound. "It's in place. The healing spell is proof of that. Remember your promise, Leaf. We can't afford to let go of this amulet."

"Y… Yes."


	2. The Reunion

Lilith looked up when a knock sounded at her door. "Come in."

The door opened, and the butler, Elgraid, led in four people.

Lilith gazed at them, the scene before her not quite sinking in. The feeling of a boulder landing hard in her stomach overwhelmed her as she continued to stare.

She had absolutely no idea who the short girl with orange hair and green eyes was.

But.

The other three—a tall, beautiful girl with long red hair swishing at her knees, her dark eyes glittering with a predatory light. A tall, muscular boy with sleek, midnight-blue hair, as spiky as it always had been, his chest bare. Another boy with similar build and height, unusual pink hair disarrayed and looking slightly fiery.

They were…

Why were they…?

Lilith barely managed to calm herself, to keep her mask in place. "Elgraid. Explain immediately. Why are there wizards in this house? And they seem to be Fiarytail wizards, no less. Didn't I order to keep them out of my estates?"

"Lady Lilith. These people are Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, and Olivia Silverfeather. They have come to work off Leaf Ellwood's debt as your bodyguards for the next ten years. The attacks on you daily are multiplying in number, my lady. Though I apologize for the disobedience, it is time we hired some wizards. If you wish, please punish me as you see fit."

Lilith tried to keep her composure—the poker face that she had mastered over the painful, last twenty years. "I don't need them. I will give Leaf Ellwood ten years to repay the debt. Take these people away."

She could feel the tension grow in her old comrades. They remained silent and stiff, glancing at each other worriedly.

"My lady, I am sorry to say that you didn't specify in your contract that you had a particular method you wished for in the way the sum was repaid. He could repay you in any way, and servitude is one of those methods. He merely got others to work it off for him. They have taken responsibility for the whole amount."

Lilith slammed her fist down onto her desk—the heavy oak cracked easily. "You may leave, Elgraid."

Elgraid bowed and left, shutting the door behind him.

Lilith was not sure if her mask was still in place—in the presence of these people, she could never be sure of anything. "Personally, I would ben all wizards from my property, but I don't think I have another choice. It would make a drastic change in my fortune if I forgave the debt simply. Welcome to the household. I am Lilith Heart."

Natsu's eyes flickered dangerously as he stepped forward. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, Fire Dragon Slayer, and these are my teammates, Gray Fullbuster known as the Ice Prince, Erza Scarlet known as the Fairy Queen Titania, and our newest member, Liv, who is a rare Celestial Key Contractor."

Lilith stared at the orange-haired, short girl with dull eyes. "Of course I'm aware of the strongest team of the legendary guild, Fairytail. I may actually know more about Fairytail than some Fairytail members. Liv, is it? How many celestial spirits can you summon at once?"

The girl, Liv, flinched. "Um, three, I think. My lady."

"For how long?"

"Two… Two hours…"

Erza's eyes glinted. "From what I gathered just now, my lady who seems to dislike wizards, especially Fairytail wizards, also seems to know a lot about both Fairytail and wizards."

Lilith managed to glare, as if there wasn't turmoil of emotions whirling inside her. "That's my business, isn't it?"

They all flinched at the ice of her voice.

Of course they had heard of Lilith's wealth and power. She was the most influential thing in the modern society.

"What's your strongest Celestial Spirit?"

"C-Caelum, ma'am."

Lilith felt her heart thud again. What had happened to Yuki? "I see," she said abruptly, without any warning. "You're all dismissed."

Erza tilted her head. "Aren't you going to ask us about our powers? Or give us details on our work?"

Lilith couldn't stop the small, regretful smile from forming on her lips. "Perhaps…" _Perhaps I don't want to know how much you all progressed and changed in my absence._ "Perhaps I already know all about your powers."

Gray raised a brow. "You couldn't possibly be judging us from the rumors. Forgive me, my lady, but that's insane."

"I'm not. Now leave, all of you. You may ask Elgraid about your duties."

They all hesitated—then they bowed and exited, just as she had wished.

She glanced at the gilt mirror that she had hung on the wall opposite her, the one she had left deliberately as a constant reminder.

Her tears were flowing.

Of course they wouldn't remember her.

_Of course they wouldn't recognize her_.

She sank into her seat and buried her head in her hands, her inhumanely beautiful reflection reopening her deepest wounds.


	3. The Platinum Lady

Natsu leaned back on the bed. "I guess this is our room for the next ten years."

He mused on what had happened.

She had insulted the Fairytail name, yet he had felt no anger, only overwhelming nostalgia, which was strange.

The way she had cracked an oak desk—did she really need bodyguards?

She had been beautiful.

She had been like perfection incarnate, like a goddess.

She wasn't hot, or pretty, or sexy, or anything in that sense. She was simply unbearably peerless.

Her platinum blond—almost white—hair was sleek and straighter even than Erza's hair, and was not coiled elaborately like other nobles' hair, but loose down to her waist. The ends were sharp, like a thousand needles.

She was slim and elegant, yet he had sensed the sinewy power pumping in those delicate limbs. Her face was white, so white that it was unnatural. Her eyes were a rusty crimson.

It was strange, how she was nothing alike to anyone he knew, yet teased memories, letting him relive his pasts.

Who did she remind him of?

"What did you think of her?" Gray asked, staring at the ceiling.

Natsu glanced at him, jolted out of his reverie.

Gray had also noticed that nostalgia, it seemed.

"Lady Lilith Heart." Natsu mused quietly. "I do wonder. She seemed so sad when she openly rejected Fairytail."

Gray chuckled lightly. "No one can mask regret from us. We've all been there and done that. It looks like she likes to underestimate us."

Natsu let a small smirk curl at his lips. "We'll teach her not to belittle Fairytail."

They remained silent for a while.

"Do you think we can find Lucy after this?" Gray murmured quietly.

Natsu sighed. "I hope so. Ten years will fly by. After all, we won' be aging any time soon. Serve this lady for five years, and we get that amulet in our hands."

"What do you think Lucy left in there?"

"My bigger question is; when did Lucy gain the power to create magical items that are so powerful? Where did we go wrong? How did Lucy become a mystery to us?"

Gray faced him and grinned. "She can't run from us. That's impossible. We'll show her that she can't hide forever, right, Lizard?"

Natsu merely grinned and let a fireball launch itself at Gray.


	4. The Power

Lilith opened her eyes slightly, just so they were crimson slits. She had stayed awake all night, yet when she had closed her eyes, she had seen those nightmares all the same.

Her memories had resurfaced.

She could hear the screams clearly, echoing in her head, begging her to save them, to get them out of there.

She could envision the scene countless times, the one where the world around her crumbled into nothing.

She sincerely hoped that they had given up on searching for Lucy Heartfilia. She already knew that their efforts would be futile. Lucy was already at a place where they would not be able to reach easily.

Lilith sighed when a knock sounded at her door.

"Lady Lilith," Gray's voice rang out. "It's morning."

The doors opened and footsteps proceeded to grow louder and louder until they reached to a stop at her bedroom archway.

"Ah. Gray Fullbuster."

Gray bowed slightly. "We've decided that we will rotate each day protecting you while the rest of us remain on guard out of sight."

Lilith gazed out the window, as she had all night. "I'll trust you all with it."

"Yes, lady."

Lilith slowly stood from her backless seat by the window. "How long did it take you to climb up this tower?"

Gray smirked slightly. "Fifteen minutes, my lady."

Lilith hummed. "Not bad. It takes a normal person thirty. Have you frozen the stairwell on the way?"

He flushed. "No, lady. I didn't. I have a better control of my power than that. I was merely surprised when Elgraid told us that your chambers were the highest tower in this mansion."

Lilith tightened the cloak around her. "May I ask you a personal question, Gray?"

He stilled. "That depends."

"Have you stopped looking for Lucy?"

He froze entirely, the colour draining from his face. "How do you know Lucy, lady?"

Lilith smiled slightly. "I see that question was far too personal for you. I won't ask." But she had already heard the answer as soon as he had reacted. They were still searching for her.

Just then, a bullet flew through the window, smashing the paned glass into a thousand pieces.

Lilith, already used to the numeral murder attempts per day, moved swiftly to the side.

Gray, though caught off guard, acted fast and immediately shot frost, ice flying at the broken window and hardening, creating a thick barrier as it continued to frost up.

The door burst open, and Natsu, Erza and Liv ran in, fully dressed and armed.

Lilith settled in the closest seat. "That ice won't do, Gray. They're wizards. You're going to have to get stronger ice than the ones you would use for normal bullets."

"How do you know they're wizards?" Natsu asked, flaring his nose. "I mean, I can smell them, but I'm not exactly normal."

Normal. Oh, how Lilith wished for a day when she could be normal.

Before she could respond, more bullets flew at the window, and sure enough, they had magic on them this time. They blasted through Gray's barriers easily.

"Oh, snap," Erza muttered as she deflected the bullets with her suddenly huge sword.

More bullets flew in, and suddenly, their attackers appeared, atop the trees.

One was a tall, muscled man with shaggy black hair, bare chest, and a bear mask over his head. The other had a more childlike look, maybe 150cm tall with white hair and magical white wings.

Beside Lilith, Erza swore.

"What the hell, Laia!" Gray yelled over the noise. "What do you think you're doing? Shit!"

Laia grinned cheerfully. "Oiii~~. It's Natsu nii-chan. Gray nii-chan, too." She giggled. "Oh my. Fairy Queen-sama? And Livvy nee-chan. The whole team is here." In one hand, she held a gun half the size of her body. "Wolf and I were offered a huge reward for Lilith-sama's head~. Isn't that great?"

The man Laia had labeled as Wolf began gathering a strange magic power in his hand.

Then he shot it at them—and when he did, it exploded like a bomb, only filling the whole place with electricity bolts.

Lilith was growing tired by now, and burst up. "Move, all of you."

They stared at her. "Excuse me, lady?"

"Move. Didn't you hear that order?"

"We're your bodyguards, not your servants, lady!" Natsu yelled, blasting a fire bolt from his hand.

Unfortunately, it was reflected by the frizzing, violet magic and came straight towards back at them.

Natsu hastily caught it, swearing.

"I said move!" Lilith thundered. "Did you not hear me? I will not be on the defense forever. That won't get me anywhere! Get out of the way!"

In her hand, a golden key shimmered into existence. She twisted it, the snake coiled around it throbbing as she did. "Open, Gate of the Snake Charmer! Ophiuchus!"

The Thirteenth Key came alive in her hand in an instant, and the large monster came into existence outside the tower, surrounding the entire mansion with its colossal body.

She ignored the four's stares as she started her control.

The great serpent wound over, hissing at the shocked assailants, immediately engulfing them in its mouth.

They were soon spat out, unconscious and with puncture holes marking their stomach.

They were from the serpent's incisors, and the assailants were losing blood at a rapid speed.

They dropped fast into the forest below, and Opiuchus shimmered into nothing.

Lilith calmly absorbed the Thirteenth Key back into herself and straightened her cloak and dress. "I don't need four bodyguards. Three of you go and look for the two and bring them back to me. If you don't find them in a couple of minutes, it's likely that they'll die."

Quickly unfreezing themselves, Erza and Liv jumped out the already-broken window.

Natsu followed, but not before studying Lilith intently.

Lilith dusted herself down. "There's no need for me to get changed," she said, as if nothing had happened. There wasn't a single cut in her flowing, silk gown. The white had not been dirtied, and the sash was flawless. "Breakfast isn't necessary either. We're going straight to the study."

"L… Lady Lilith… You're a wizard?" Gray asked. "More than that, you're a Celestial Key Contractor. Lady Lilith, just where did you get that Key?"

Lilith glanced back at him, refusing to acknowledge her throbbing heart. "That's my business."

"L-Lady…"

Lilith swept right past him. "You came here to pay off a debt, not to question my life. Move."


	5. The Questions

Natsu studied her as she stared at the two wizards.

They had been healed to the best of Liv's abilities, but the blood was still seeping through the white bandages.

Of course they were still bleeding so badly—although healed and bandaged, they still had huge holes in their bodies.

Lilith spoke abruptly in her haunting voice. "It was Makarov, wasn't it?"

Natsu flinched along with Erza, Gray and Liv.

Why would the Master…?

"I think you were also lying when you said you wanted my head."

Natsu frowned, trying to figure everything out.

His life had suddenly become complicated when Lady Lilith had stepped into it.

He had so many questions whirling inside him—the biggest one being, 'Who is Lilith Heart?'

Why did she remind him of someone?

Why did her unfamiliar, beautiful face make him feel as if he was missing something?

How did she know Lucy?

What was the longing that Gray had described when she had asked the question?

With each question in his head came another three more.

"Lilith-sama," Wolf rasped. "Go back to Master. He desperately wishes to see you."

Lilith's crimson eyes were frosty and unforgiving. "What I do for him and his Fairytail should have been more than enough. What more does he expect from me? He knows my reasons."

Wolf coughed, breathing raggedly. "It's not the money he wants. You know that."

Lilith's hand flew out—suddenly, Wolf was pinned to the wall behind him, his sash embedded with cutlery. Her musical, cold voice was a snarl as she spat the words. "Then tell him—'do you think I don't miss them all? Do you think that I'm staying away for my own benefit?' Tell him that I'm staying away from him and his miserable _Fairytail_ for its own good!"

Natsu flinched back, unable to resist the instinctive compulsion to back away from this furious creature.

She wasn't just furious—she was livid. She was raging; raging with cold fury, burning hatred… and agony.

She was trembling with the pain of the world, the hurt of this generation, the forgotten memories of this life.

Natsu crept forward, driven by a strange, somewhat familiar compulsion.

Then he wrapped his arms around her, just as Erza and Gray did too.

They stood, hugging the rigid, stiff body; strong yet delicate, telling her everything was alright, consoling her, soothing her pain without knowing anything about her.

Natsu closed his eyes.

This, for some reason, was how it was supposed to be.

Everything was as it should be.

Things were falling into place.


	6. The Breakdown

Lilith stood, frozen, heart thumping loudly in her ears.

The familiar embraces of Natsu, Gray and Erza immediately flared the agony burning inside her, lighting it up more than anything in the world.

Her heart was burning, smoldering harder than ever, but she wanted to stay in the position, lean into the warmth and safety.

They didn't recognize her, did they?

She couldn't move—her body wouldn't respond.

Her limbs had frozen themselves stiff, paralyzed with shock and pain.

The emotions shot through her mind, blanking out everything else.

Her breath started coming out shallow at the nostalgic touch, and it was all she could do to keep her tears.

She desperately tried to recollect herself, to calm her nerves. "Wh-What do you think you're doing? I won't tolerate this. G-Get off me. You're here to be my bodyguards."

They flinched and immediately stepped back, leaving her feeling relieved yet hollow.

They bowed; their apologies were stuttered and hasty.

Lilith calmly brushed herself off, feeling the scorching coldness in her fingers as they touched the sheer fabric of her clothes.

"All of you are dismissed for the day. Go. I will fire anyone who shows their face to me again today."

* * *

"My lady… Did you hear what I just…"

Lilith drew her fingers to her temples, closing her eyes. "My mind was occupied—I apologize, Elgraid."

"My lady Lilith… You are not feeling well." It wasn't an inquiry—it was a statement.

Lilith cracked a slight, emotionless smile. "I apologize—was it that obvious?"

"You are not at your normal state of mind."

Lilith harshly fixed her document in place with an arrow that had been dripping with her blood and poison two weeks ago. "I can't get anything done like this. I need to settle… I need to calm down."

"Yes, my lady. I'm afraid I would have to agree with you on that."

"Please leave." Lilith murmured.

The door shut quietly, leaving her alone in her whirlwind of memories.

Why did it have to have been _them_ who accepted Leaf Ellwood's debt? Why did it have to be the three of them, of all people?

They had even gotten a new Celestial Contractor to replace Lucy.

Lilith slowly sank back into her seat, weary and uncertain for the first time in decades.

The turmoil inside her burned her and her icy tears smoldered against her colourless skin as she let out a searing, horrible scream, radiating with agony.

Why had things turned out this way?

If only Lucy…

If only Lucy had…

She simply buried her head in her hands, not regretting but ruing the day that she had given up on Lucy Heartfilia.


	7. The Master

Erza felt the chatters in the room stop abruptly as they strode into the large, noisy room.

Just for a second, all was silent before the noisy nervously shuffled into place again.

Natsu ran a hand through his rough, pink hair that ignored the rules of gravity. "Where's the old geezer at a time we need him?" he bellowed, loudly enough to shake the whole guild.

From the third story of SS-Rankers, Cana poked out her head, her long, mahogany curls tumbling down against the banister. "Yo, look who is back to frighten our lower family. Master was just saying that he would miss you doing that. So why're you here?"

Gray shrugged. "We need to see the Master. Is he busy?"

"Nope, not at all," declared a familiar, annoyed voice from behind them.

Erza turned to face the short, old man. "Master, you have some explaining to do."

Makarov grinned innocently, not quite managing to hide his nerves. "What did I do this time?"

Natsu sidled towards Makarov and grabbed him, staring at him in the eye. "The lady, you old geezer—we're talking about Lady Lilith Heart. What game are you playing at now?"

The grin immediately vanished from Makarov's face, and Erza noticed the glint in his eyes. "Not here, you four. We're not discussing it on the bottom levels."

Murmurs swept through the large room as the lower members of Fairytail glanced at each other. Liv pressed her lips into a thin line. She was an S-Ranker, and would never be an SS-Ranker. Everyone in Fairytail was aware of the rule. The newcomers, the wizards that joined the guild after the near-destruction of Fiore, were never to become SS-Rankers.

Leaving Liv to her annoyance, Erza, Natsu, Gray and Makarov jumped up to the third level, onto the banister and the door, and then into Makarov's study.

"Now," Makarov mused, his eyes narrowed. "How do you three know Lilith?"

* * *

Makarov bit his lip, scowling. Things had become bad—very, very bad.

He had thought he had gotten rid of that poster of the SS-Rank quest.

Of all the people who had seen it, it had been _those_ three.

Why had it turned out this way?

He had made a major mistake.

He recalled Lilith's request; of course he did, but how could he grant it when she was like a daughter to him?

The poor girl probably stared at her beautiful, goddess-like reflection every day and wished for just one hour, one minute when she could be the girl she so wanted to be.

Makarov sighed and glanced at the photo on his desk—a pretty, smiling girl making a peace sign, the winged blue cat nibbling on a fish in the background. Her hair was shoulder-length and blond, tied up in bouncy pigtails. Her eyes were chocolate and she wore revealing clothes of blue and white.

It was Lucy in her shining happiness, with a grin that he would never see again.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat with a sigh—and that was when he heard the commotion.


	8. The Past

**Three chapters in one day, woo hoo! :D It was to make up for my absence so far. Please review :))**

* * *

Lilith glared at the wary people who stared at her.

She recognized none of them.

"Lady Lilith? Why are you here?"

The call came from upstairs, and Erza easily jumped down from the third floor.

Lilith gazed at her. "Erza Scarlet."

Erza dipped her head in a bow before straightening and yelling out loudly across the room. "She isn't someone who means ill towards the guild. Go back to whatever you were doing before."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Is Makarov here?"

"Damn right I am," the wary voice said, and she turned to face the familiar old man. "What are you doing here, Lilith?"

Lilith glanced around. "Not here—we are not talking about this here. We have some things to sort out, don't we, Makarov? We're doing it on the fourth floor."

Erza stepped in. "Lady Lilith, we apologize but everyone but Master are restricted from the fourth floor. There are no exceptions. The magic barrier will only admit him."

Makarov shook his head. "The magic will accept her. I'm not the one who set it up, after all. Very well, then, Lilith, we'll go up to the fourth floor."

And leaving everyone staring at the two, they excused themselves to the stairs.

* * *

Lilith smiled slightly as she studied the wide space that was the fourth floor.

She recalled the day when she had built it all, had let the power flow to sustain time.

"How long?" Makarov demanded in a low voice, not even glancing around at the magnificence of the temple. "How long have you got left?"

Lilith smiled wearily. "I have maybe three, four decades, I think. That's if I don't use my powers further as God."

Makarov glared at her. "There are people desperately searching for you."

Lilith nodded. "Really, though, Master, I would like to thank you for your secrecy. You kept your promise."

Makarov folded his arms. "I would not ruin the legacy Edolas left trying to protect us."

Lilith laughed tiredly. "What legacy? Are you talking about the fact that I am God now? I don't even look like me anymore."

Makarov's gaze was flinty. "Come back to us."

Lilith let out a vicious snarl. "How much more are you going to require out of me, Master? If I returned, it would be _painful_ to _know_ that the little happiness I have won't last. Two decades have passed already. Have you not told me that you would make sure they forget Lucy?"

Makarov didn't flinch. "They're all waiting for your return, and I can't do anything about that. I don't particularly want to, either. Your teammates who are willing to take on ten-year quests to find the amulet that you left behind and _everyone_ who you presented with immortality and the rank of S Class, the whole family of Fairytail from back then… they miss you."

Lilith felt her face twist with agony. "It's not _me_ they miss. It's Lucy. You know fully well that they will never find Lucy on the face of Fiore! If I close my eyes, I can still see Edolas crumbling and burning around me. I hear the terrified screams of people begging me to save them. I feel the Heart of Edolas burning and Fiore slowly smoldering into nothing. The terrifying wrath of God punishing both worlds… The price to pay was far too costly for me to bear. I, the weakest link of the strongest team, was the one to dare to burden everyone with the duty of living on with those wounds etched into their flesh and minds." She trembled, clenching her eyes shut. "The nightmares… It's my entire fault that the people who accepted me are left with the scars. And the knowledge of me with the same power that sacrificed Edolas for Fiore will break them. I can endure this by myself, Master. This is how things should be. I'm still draining my life force into this temple. They won't perish even though the side effects of Edolas are still on them, at least for as long as I'm alive. I spent the last two decades to create the funding that Fairytail can live on for a lifetime. Everything has been arranged."

Makarov's face was grim, unyielding. "Do you think that you are doing everyone a favour by doing this? Happy, Lily and Charle didn't give their lives to you for this. _They did not sacrifice themselves for this outcome_. No matter your powers and your looks, you will always be Lucy to us. Why is it so hard to understand that?"

She raised her head, her eyes cold. "I am not Lucy Heartfilia." She was aware that her voice was trembling with regret, with everything that had changed her, turned her into a beautiful monster. "I am Lilith Heart." The tears against her cold cheeks were icy enough to burn. "I did not want to return." She crumpled to the cold, stone floor slowly. "I did not want to face my desires again."


	9. The Wrath of God

**I realized as I wrote this chapter that this might turn into a relatively short chapter. Oh well, I guess that's less tension for you readers out there. Thanks for your PMs and support, I appreciate it :) please review**

* * *

Everything was on fire. Edolas and Fiore, clashing hard against each other, were breaking off in pieces, slowly giving in to the pitch-black dimension that surrounded these alternate worlds. The predicted Wrath of God—it was slowly shattering both worlds.

Dragons soared across the breaking skies, raging, not in minds to even communicate with their adoptive Slayer children.

Shards of both worlds were falling into nonexistence, giving way to the darkness.

Lucy Heartfilia panicked—despite the effort she and Yuki were both putting into it, the Gate to the Celestial world was not willing to stay open.

Colossal balls of flames flew everywhere, repeatedly acting like bombs against the worlds.

"Another town disappeared!" Erza Nightwalker yelled from somewhere behind her. "Evacuate everyone to the next town! Hurry up, we don't have time to lose! Titania, how are things on your side going?"

Erza Scarlet flew back from yet another ball of flame. "We're not going too well, either! Lucy Ashley is evacuating all the children! She's in Fiore!"

Lucy concentrated harder, willing it to stay open while she was also summoning _all_ her Celestial Spirits, including the rest of the Gold Keys that Yuki had entrusted to her.

Yuki was sweating hard, forcing open the Gate with her. "Where's Natsu? He should be able to hold back the flames."

Lucy clenched her teeth. "I know, and he is! He's stopping more than half of them with another barrier!"

The screams around them were endless, and the blood that was flowing like rivers in the streets below carried dead bodies of the people who had sacrificed themselves for their loved ones.

High up above, Natsu Dragneel had set a blazing barrier of fire across the skies of both worlds as they merged, absorbing the attacks from Heaven.

"Where's Mirajane?" Levy shouted, trying hard to be heard across the chaos. "We need Mirajane! Happy, go find Mirajane!"

Lucy slowly felt the life draining out of her—she couldn't hold it any longer. She had let everything flow out of her.

In mid-air, she swayed, barely conscious.

"Lucy!" Yuki's voice screamed. "Lucy, get a hold of yourself!"

Suddenly, strong arms gripped her, and swiftly carried her off.

Lucy forced her eyes open, her breath coming out shallow. "Panther… Panther Lily?"

"Queen Shagotte and Prince Mystogan are waiting for you."

She closed her eyes, trying to hold onto her consciousness.

And suddenly, with a low swoop, she was out of the burning blaze, deafening screams and overruling pandemonium.

A cool hand rested on her forehead, energy flowing through gently.

Lucy staggered up, feeling somewhat refreshed.

"Wh-Where am I?"

The same hand that had healed her helped her stand—it was Mystogan.

Lucy glanced around the place—she was in a dark, dusty place, somewhat like a huge throne room with blue-black marble. High arches with golden trims decorated the place, and on the cold floor were golden runes, large and shining.

High on a golden dais shone the biggest crystal Lucy had seen. It was a type of stone that she had never come across before, colorless yet with an infinite number of colors at the same time, like the sky of the Celestial World. It throbbed, radiating with power.

In front of her stood Queen Shagotte, Prince Mystogan and the one hundred Exceeds and humans of the United Council of Edolas.

"What's going on?" Lucy gasped out. "The two alternate worlds are cracking. We need everyone's support!"

Mystogan kept his hands on her, steadying her. "Calm down, Lucy. Just hear us out."

Queen Shagotte calmly closed her eyes. Her pure, white fur was wet from her tears. "We have found a way to save…. Well. Let me rephrase this—we have found a way to pay off our debt to the cost of the worlds' existences."

Lucy clutched onto Mystogan, still feeling weak. "What?"

"I had already predicted this destruction, the thing we call the Wrath of God. The people of Edolas have voted, and we as the rulers of them all have reached a conclusion." At this point, Shagotte drew in a shaky breath. "Edolas must fall as sacrifice to fully revive Fiore."

Lucy choked. "What?"

"That stone you see up there is the life force of our world, the Heart of Edolas. The only person who can shatter it to save Fiore is you, Lucy Heartfilia. You were personally chosen by the King of the world that is not parallel to ours, the Spirit King. You, with his power vested in you, can be the only one to break it."

Lucy felt herself hardening against Shagotte's words. "This can't be the only way to save us. What will happen to Edolas?"

Mystogan laughed, though he sounded unamused. Instead, weariness and the despair of the world was flowing in his words, regret and the rue of not being able to do more for his beloved people ringing in his every syllable. "98% of the people of Edolas voted for the sacrifice. After all, Edolas was not supposed to exist in the beginning. After this, I'm sorry to say that the one who will be most pained and damaged will be you. Shattering the Heart will give you the power of God, to control everything and anything to your absolute will. You will be beautiful, powerful, and will have immortality, but in the end, every time you, a God that was once human use your power, your life force will be drained slowly. The worst thing out of all this will be the fact that you will have to continue living on, carrying the soul of Edolas inside you with the knowledge of having the same power that nearly killed us all. Knowing you, Lucy, you will blame yourself for the misery of your family, and you will probably try to keep your family alive, even though they are meant to perish from the experience of having had contact with Edolas. For that, Lucy, we are sorry."

Lucy felt the tears jerk out of her eyes, despite her efforts. "I… I'll be a monster that has once nearly destroyed everyone who loved me." She buried her face into Mystogan's chest. "I would be the one killing everyone in Edolas… what about Happy? Charle? Panther Lily? What about all of you, who loved us enough to sacrifice yourselves?"

Shagotte smiled at her tearily. "It's fine, Lucy. We agreed on this. It was our decision and we will accept the consequences. I'm just sorry that you'll live with the scars after this."

Lucy stared at them all. They were the most beautiful existences she had ever laid eyes on.

And as she stared at the jewels of Edolas, the two parallel universes around her began to finally burn.

Her scalding tears were icy and her heart throbbed painfully.

Then slowly, she summoned the High King of the Celestial World.


	10. The Burden

"Is it all done?"

Lilith opened her eyes. "Yes. It is."

Makarov closed his eyes. "I would not care if I died… I'm ancient, after all."

Lilith cracked a slight smirk. "Do you think I would let you, Master?"

Makarov lost his smile. "I _know_ that you won't let me. That's not quite fair, is it, Lilith? I'm watching you die without a care."

Lilith pressed her lips into a thin line, lowering her hand from the central pillar. "Well, I deserve to die. I willingly sacrificed thousands of existences for my own selfishness of wanting a family."

Makarov twitched. "Strange, isn't it, Lilith? You sacrificed so much for the family that you gave up without a fight."

Lilith laughed tiredly. "Well, I had never intended on becoming god." Sagging, she staggered up to the old man before squeezing him tightly against her chest. "I was born as the Contractor of the Spirit King—it was my duty. After all, parallel worlds can't bring upon absence onto each other without affecting itself at the same time. We were lucky to have me bound to the absolute ruler of a perpendicular world that runs through both Edolas and Fiore."

"L-Lilith…"

Lilith closed her eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of Fairytail. "Not….."

Makarov glanced up at her with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

Lilith briskly let the short master down and dusted herself off. "What are you talking about, old man? Get back and teach your little wizards their place. I'm only keeping them for the sake of myself."

Makarov merely raised a brow. "You have a habit of biting your lip when you're trembling with tears."

Lilith closed her eyes before squeezing them tighter. "Be quiet." Taking in a deep breath, she quickly ran out to the fourth-floor landing before leaping down from the banister, down onto the bottom floor.

She landed silently, managing to open her eyes without spilling her tears.

"Lilith? It's…. Is it really you, Lilith?"

The trembling voice was familiar and sweet, and Lilith immediately regretted her rash decision of leaping down without checking who was there. She turned and faced the beautiful, former model, feeling her heart being stabbed for the thousandth time that day. "Hello, Mira. It's been a while."

Mirajane was shaking, her hands covering her mouth. "I thought… I thought you would never return."

Lilith laughed bitterly. "I thought so too. I didn't want to come back, you know."

Mirajane seemed to steel herself. "What are you doing here, Lilith?"

Lilith glanced back at the four people staring along with the other wizards—Natsu. Gray. Erza. And Lucy's replacement—Liv. "Mirajane, you should have warned them beforehand not to touch me."

Mirajane's brows snapped up. "What?" She narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about? I got rid of that quest. I got rid of anything that had any ties to Lucy, just as you wished."

Lilith jabbed her finger in the bewildered group's direction. "How did _they_ of all wizards get that quest?"

Mirajane glanced at the four wizards. "Did you make a copy of the one I told you to stay away from, Natsu? I thought I told you to stop tracking down Lucy."

Natsu's eyes flickered with a dangerous light, just for a second.

The room grew silent.

Natsu ran a hand through his hair roughly, glaring coldly. "I've said this before and I'll say it again, Mira. I'm deeply disappointed in you. You were one of Lucy's closest friends—I never expected you to be the traitor among us. You disgust me."

"Shut your stupid mouth," Makarov growled from behind them. "You have no right to say that at all."

Lilith felt a heavy _something _weighing down on her chest painfully.

Master and Mirajane, and probably Yuki too, were being hated because of the request she had made so many years ago.

Two decades—it had been exactly two decades.

And there had been that time, the period of the Wrath where time had ceased to flow—had ceased to exist.

Lilith closed her eyes.

She had a burden to be carried, a responsibility that she had to take for all her decisions two decades ago.

Every choice had a sacrifice, a price to pay.

She wasn't going to make Makarov, Mirajane or Yuki to pay the price—though she suspected with a stinging pain that Yuki may already have had.

Lilith herself had been the one to be the destruction.

She was the aching—a forgotten yet something that could never be forgotten—connection to the past, to the Wrath that only the now SS Rankers of Fairytail knew, the Wrath that all else had completely forgotten, the Wrath that she, as God, could now again create.

She smiled, feeling bitter. "Oh yes. Makarov is completely right. You people, all of you SS Rankers, have no right at all to accuse him or Mira. If you're looking for someone to blame that badly because you feel as if you couldn't protect Lucy from the Wrath—then I suggest you blame me."


	11. Her Identity

"Lilith!" Mirajane let out.

Makarov glared, the look in his ancient, pained eyes filled with smoldering anger. "Lilith. They didn't need to know."

Lilith stared straight at Natsu, Gray and Erza.

They were stricken, all of them with the same emotion that none of them seemed to be able to name.

Lilith shrugged delicately, as if it didn't matter. "It was my choice."

"How…?"

Lilith turned to face the voice.

Natsu surged at her, grabbing her. "How the hell do you know about the Wrath?"

Lilith calmly waited, unresisting.

"Why are you to blame for Lucy going missing? Who the hell are you? Answer me!"

Mirajane immediately flew at them, her form switching in a split second. "Let her go, Natsu."

Erza bowed low. "I'll apologize on Natsu's behalf. He jumped out of his place." She looked up, and Lilith saw that her eyes were in that same shade of dark colour as when she faced someone she truly placed as someone to be wary of. "But I think, my lady, that you had better explain what link you have with the Wrath and Lucy if you don't want the whole section of the Fairytail SS Rank to jump at you."

Erza and Gray were targeting her, ready for a fight.

The whole bottom floor was silent.

Mirajane was holding onto Natsu's arm, which was threatening Lilith herself.

Makarov was still, silent and wary.

And Natsu, her once best friend, was willing to kill her for someone who was already dead.

Mirajane pulled Natsu off her. "You are an idiot. Haven't you realized by now who is feeding Fairytail and sponsoring us monthly?"

Lilith smiled. "That's a stupid excuse to get them off me, and you know that well, Mira. It's fine. I'll tell them. I don't mind. You can't stop me." She gazed at the Fairytail that she no longer knew. "I'm the one who killed Lucy."

* * *

"Why?" Natsu screamed at her, not feeling anything but rage. "Why did you kill her?"

Who was Lilith to kill Lucy?

Why had she killed the bright ray of sunshine?

He knew that he was burning, burning harshly and brightly with a cold fury that he couldn't control.

Erza had leaped at Lilith, her armor swiftly changing to the Suit of the Death God.

Gray had let go of everything that had ever spoken sense to him, just as Natsu had, himself.

None of them could get close.

Mirajane and Makarov were blocking them, Makarov with all his power of the years and Mirajane in her forbidden form, Satan Soul Halphas.

"Why are you stopping us?" Erza wailed, her eyes burning. "Mira! Master! Does money mean that much to you?"

"…herself."

Natsu felt his power immediately die out.

He felt numb, shocked.

He couldn't believe it—he absolutely refused to believe it.

"Wha…." The half-formed word barely made it out of his mouth.

"You heard me," Lilith said, her face, for the first time in Natsu's presence, contorted with an emotion.

It was pain.

It was an agonizing, killing pain with the weight that none of them before had experienced.

"Lucy… Lucy killed herself. It was because of me. Because she met me, she sacrificed herself for me. If I had not existed, she would be alive."

The hall was silent.

The silence was something that Natsu couldn't bear—it was a heartbreakingly heavy silence that expressed the madness that Lilith was going through.

"If I had not existed, she would be alive, but because I exist, she chose to sacrifice herself to spare Fairytail of the past that traumatized you and her both."

"Lucy… She had nothing to do with the catastrophe that was caused by the Wrath," Natsu denied. "I don't even know how you know about that catastrophe—Master erased the memories of everyone who wasn't involved. The only people who remember it are basically a small number of mages from the other guilds and the SS Rankers of Fairytail. Lucy… It can't be true."

It wasn't true, Natsu convinced himself. It could never be true.

Lucy—Princess Lucy, he thought with a tinge of warm nostalgia—had been the sunshine of their team, of everyone who knew her.

She had been the warmest and brightest, the most positive person Natsu had ever known.

She had been his best friend, Happy's best friend—

Natsu promptly doubled over and threw up on the floor, retching out everything he had eaten that day.

Happy.

Whenever he remembered the Wrath of God, whenever he thought of Happy, whenever he thought of the two parallel worlds that burned down and broke off in pieces to fall into non-existence…

Edolas was gone.

Edolas and everyone who belonged there were gone.

Edolas had not survived the fall.

He didn't understand why Edolas had to fall, but he grieved everything.

He and all who remembered the Wrath would forever grieve of the period when time had ceased to flow, the lost piece of time that had brought forth the death of Edolas and the revival of Fiore.

Lilith smiled again, and this time, it was blank, blanker than ever—so terrifyingly empty that it scared Natsu. "Lucy is the one who erased everyone's memories. Master—Makarov doesn't have the power nor right to do that. And I'm the catalyst to Lucy's death. Blame me if you wish, but don't ever blame Mira, Yuki, Makarov or Gildarts. They…"

And this time, Natsu saw a cold, burning fury that whirled in the bottomless pits of her eyes, the pits of smoldering blood, that chilled him, forbade him to move.

"You have no right to add onto their burden!"

Her musical voice was screamed out, immediately demanding attention and obedience.

"You have absolutely no right to prance before them and whine about what you experienced in the Wrath! These people have knowledge that they are to live on with forever. They, for as long as they live, and you know exactly _how long_, they have to carry the things they know so that none of you will be hurt more! Know your place!" She quieted, her livid rage fixed on the third floor of the SS Rankers. "If you want someone to hate, come hate me. Spit at my face. You're all welcome at my house. Did you all hear that? All Fairytail wizards are now welcome at my house. And if you so much as dislike these people because of what happened two decades ago, you will know that I will personally make sure that you are taught your place."

With that, Lilith turned and swept away, her platinum-gold hair flying out behind her.


	12. The Fall of Two Decades

**I'm so sorry that all this took so long. In return, I have posted three new chapters. I have already started writing more actively on my Loveless fanfiction and I promise to do just as well in this one. Thank you for your continuous support and please review.**

* * *

There was a quiet, barely-audible knock on the study door.

Lilith quickly swept her disarrayed hair back away from her face, throwing a cloth over the gilt mirror that she had been staring at so accusingly.

"Come in."

Even to herself, her voice sounded weary and tired.

The oak door opened to allow in Natsu, Gray and Erza.

Natsu bowed low. "I would like to deeply apologize for my team's behavior earlier today, including myself. It was uncalled for and we placed our blame wrongly—"

"Not at all," Lilith responded, trying her best to sound normal. "I _did_ kill her after all. I'm the reason she died."

Natsu did not raise himself. "No, lady, we still misplaced our hate and lost our ability to think. We sincerely apologize."

Lilith stared at them. "What is it that you want? You three loved Lucy, if I'm right. What brought this on?"

Natsu gazed up at her, straight in the eye. "We know you will never tell us. We've decided to continue to track Lucy down even if she is dead. We'll find her legacy; or her body at least. Also, if we don't complete this quest, it would be us who went to jail for not paying Leaf Ellwood's debt, as we took full responsibility for it. Not only that, because of what we made the contract on, we would be cast out of the guild. Please take us on again."

Lilith pointed to the document that she had been working on. "I am legally forgiving Leaf Ellwood's debt. It's not of my consequence whether you are trying to find Lucy. I'm forgiving the whole amount of Leaf Ellwood's debt, and you will be compensated fairly for the time here in cash. It is Leaf's choice whether he wants to give you the amulet even though you didn't fill out your oath. According to the contract he is bound to, he doesn't have to."

"What…?"

Lilith tapped the papers. "I only need to sign it and hand it into the Council. Come and write in the amount you wish for the compensation—if there is a certain amount you want."

They stared at her for a long moment.

Then Natsu collapsed onto his knees. "Lady Lilith, please, we are fully aware that you are angry, but we beg you to let us find Lucy. Please, it's our everything."

Lilith stared at them. They were really clingy people—did they not know how to let go?

She smiled slightly, regretfully.

She remembered the days of Lucy Heartfilia, how she had been the only one in the team to let go of her past and move onto a different life.

Everyone else had had their causes and goals, to find something of the past and get it back.

Lucy had been the only one to be able to not look back.

"My lady?"

Lilith closed her eyes. "Where's the little girl?"

"We have decided to honour the place for Lucy. She will always be here with us—"

Lilith's eyes shot open.

They were _crying_.

They were letting everything fall apart for Lucy.

Lucy had never wanted something like that.

Lilith felt cold, inside, hollow and numb.

"We beg you," Erza let out strongly, falling onto her knees as well. "I didn't realize at the time how much she meant to us, but she was my sister."

"Let us work off Leaf Ellwood's debt," Gray persuaded. "You _have_ to."

Lilith raised a brow. "I don't _have_ to do anything."

They all simultaneously clenched their fists.

Lilith studied them.

Their loyalty and temper had not changed at all.

She didn't think it was a good thing.

And she had a severe weakness for Fairytail wizards, after all.

It had been the reason why she had not wanted to see them.

She had revealed so much already for the sake of who she loved, for who loved her.

Every time she looked at them, it echoed in her heart over and over again, the pain that they would be going through, the past that would haunt them always.

They reminded her of how many innocent lives she had pushed into oblivion for the ones she loved.

They reminded her of her existence, of the power of God, whatever it may be, that had nearly destroyed two worlds.

She closed her eyes.

She would never win against them, both as Lucy and as Lilith.

"I haven't signed it yet," she breathed out raggedly, putting down her pen.

They didn't move.

"What is it?" she asked, leaning back in her seat. "What more do you want from me?"

"We're really grateful for your decision, Lady Lilith, and we know we have no right when you took us back on as your bodyguards, but we have another request."

Lilith waited.

Natsu took a deep breath. "We heard… We heard you told Master that you were going to stop funding Fairytail."

Lilith folded her hands together. "Fairytail does not even need a sponsor. You have absolutely no financial problems at all."

Erza was the one who spoke up this time. "My lady, ever since guilds started breaking off from the Wizards' Council and declared independence, we have stopped receiving any funds from the government. There is a limit on how much a wizard can donate to our guild. We desperately need a sponsor from high society who will back us up."

"This isn't my problem. Earlier today, the entire SS Rank was ready to kill me. You don't have any rights to come to me and ask for sponsoring when the entire superior ranks of your guild wanted to attack me."

"You don't understand," Gray protested, his voice wavering yet strong. "They're our family. No matter how unreasonable it is, we care about them and will do anything in our power to protect them." He looked up at her. "We'll do it even if it means we have to stop tracking Lucy for another two decades. Let us do that. Isn't that what you want us to do?"

Lilith resisted the temptation to let go of everything and scream and cry and let her tears flow down her cold cheeks until blood fell from her eyes. She wanted to bury her unruly head into her colourless arms and let out all the pain and burdens that was scarring her again and again daily, as she woke up and in her nightmares, always there before her eyelids to haunt her.

"I do know," was her calm response. "I know fully well. I told you, didn't I? I have a tie with Fairytail as well. I have continued to support it, until you people came along and started reminding me about the past that I never wanted to look at again. It's been haunting me even without you here—how do you expect me to go on, when you three of all people, are right here beside me? I'm not a complete god."

"We…" It was Gray again. "We have no idea how to interpret your statements so far. But I do know that we have our problems and you have yours. We're begging you to become our patron again. In return, we three will pay whatever price you ask for, to the best of our abilities."

Lilith stared at them. "Leave."

Natsu looked up at her, his eyes burning. "Lady…"

Lilith stood up from her seat. "How many times do you want me to repeat myself? Leave. You're dismissed, all of you. I only tolerate bodyguards that can live up to my standards and follow my orders without question every single time. Leave."

They stood.

They would not bend.

She knew that from experience.

They would never bend to her if it meant sacrificing Fairytail.

She had no way of winning against them, no matter what she did.

And she couldn't do anything, either—they were her painful past, but hadn't they been her first home, her first sanctuary, and her first friends?

Didn't they exist in her heart as an aching piece of nostalgia that belonged to Lucy, to the girl that she had so wished to be?

How would she raise her power against them when she saw them standing strong and together, as if nothing had happened?

They bowed and left her.

The heavy doors closed and she was alone in the silence.

Things had turned out so that no matter what she did, to the limit that her warm memories would allow her, she would be personally linked with Fairytail.

Things would not be the same anymore even if she tried to sponsor them without interacting with them, yet if she didn't sponsor them, she would have to bear seeing her past every day for the next three decades.

She let her head fall onto the hard desk.

Did they so intend to be a constant reminder?

She closed her eyes—and felt a single tear stain her cheek, scorching and cold.


	13. The Visitor

**I won't be modest. I'm impressed at myself. The longest chapter I ever wrote (I think), I managed to finish in such a short period of time. It didn't even take two hours. I hope you review. :) Another chapter coming up soon, called, 'The Silent Dinner'. Please look forward to it.**

* * *

Erza emptily went and got the main doors.

How was it that in this stupidly huge mansion, there were in total one butler, one chef, five footmen and five maids?

How was the place so well-kept with the number of staff in that state?

Plus, the lady had no bodyguards at all.

According to Elgraid, after Lilith had proven to be stronger than any of them, they had stopped hiring bodyguards at all.

Erza tilted her head, thoughtful.

Well, she had cracked an oak desk with one light punch, after all.

Erza had seen that the crack had disappeared completely.

Erza stared blankly at the man who waited outside.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked, somewhat confused.

"Oh, look at you," the man replied, grinning. "Don't you look sexy in a bodyguard's suit?"

Erza kept herself from throwing a punch at him. She would not be able to win, anyway. "What do you want, Gildarts?"

Gildarts's face sobered, his smiled fading a little. "Is Lilith in? I came as soon as I heard that Lilith visited Fairytail. Is she… Is she okay?"

Erza stared at him, frowning. "Why wouldn't she be okay?"

Lilith had been as cold and emotionless as ever.

Erza pondered. It was true that Lilith's perfect hair had been a little messy in the study, but she hadn't taken much notice of it.

Lilith had been stony, colder than ever, more frightening than anyone Erza had ever come across before.

"So, uh," Gildarts mumbled, fidgety and nervous for maybe the first time Erza had seen him. "Is Lilith in?"

Erza shook her head, trying to focus. "Yeah, um, sure, come right in. I'll call her out."

"There's no need," the familiar, musical voice crooned as they came into the main hall.

Lilith stood at the top of the marble staircase, smiling genuinely.

It was so achingly beautiful and nostalgic that it hurt Erza.

Why was it nostalgic?

What was Gildarts to Lilith that she would show her first genuine smile?

Gildarts swept back his long cloak and sank down gracefully onto one knee, bowing his head. "My lady Lilith, thank you for your kind sponsorship as always. I hope you've been good."

Lilith leaped down from that crazy height without hesitance, landing lithely on her feet and quickly crouching before Gildarts, raising his face with a finger.

She studied him, smiling. "I've been the same, though I can't say I've been well. You know how I do."

Gildarts wrapped his strong arms around her. "I'm so, so, so very sorry," he murmured. "You sacrificed so much and you still came back for Natsu and Gray and Erza. I'm so sorry, Lilith. Thank you."

Erza felt herself go cold.

Lilith had done what?

Why had she…?

In what way?

What exactly had she done on the fourth floor, where no one but Master had been allowed before?

Why had Gildarts come all the way back for her from wherever he had been?

Who was Lilith and what link did she have with Fairytail?

"I had a debt to repay," Lilith replied, lightly returning the embrace and closing her eyes.

The relief that flooded Lilith's cold and colourless face hurt Erza, for some reason.

She sensed a presence behind her and turned.

Gray stood there, silent and watching.

"Gray?"

Gray's gaze didn't move away from the pair on the floor as he spoke. "Natsu recovered. He just needs some time to himself. You know what he's like. He's not good at adjusting. I told him to take the day off."

"Well done," Erza sighed lightly. "Maybe he needs it."

Gray cracked a slight smirk. "That's true, but do you think he'll listen to me?"

Erza smiled innocently. "He'll listen if he knows what's best for him."

Gray let out a groan.

Exactly at that moment, Lilith and Gildarts broke off, standing up.

Gray nodded at Erza and strode out towards them.

Gildarts grinned cheerfully. "Look at you! Mr. Hottie in his bodyguard uniform—can I paint you? I think Juvia would like to see it."

Gray paled considerably. "Um, no thank you. I'd rather not. I think it's a really bad idea."

Gildarts laughed loudly. "What are you talking about? I think it's a marvelous idea! Juvia would love it! Imagine all the things she would do to the painting!"

Gray turned a little green, to Erza's amusement. "I think not."

Lilith's smile had disappeared as she had stood up. "Fullbuster."

Gray turned and tilted his head in the slightest of bows. "Excuse me, ma'am. Elgraid-san has told me to notify you of your upcoming visit tomorrow at the Charity Foundation Union of Fiore. Also, dinner will be ready in an hour."

Gildarts grinned. "I've never seen Gray this polite."

Lilith tilted her head to the side, frowning. "Neither have I."

It was a curious statement, Erza noted. Lilith had no way of having had contact with Gray before.

Gildarts narrowed his eyes. "Lilith."

Lilith smiled, slow and cold. "I don't mind. Dinner, hmm? Gildarts, will you be staying for dinner?"

Gildarts grinned. "I may stay here two or three days, if that's alright with you, my lady."

Lilith shrugged lightly. "Your rooms are always ready for you."

Erza narrowed her eyes.

Why did Gildarts have personal rooms in Lilith's manse?

Lilith turned her gaze towards Gray. "Notify Elgraid that we'll have a guest over for a while."

"Yes, my lady," Gray replied stiffly, his eyes studying Gildarts.

Gildarts seemed to ignore this. Instead, he laughed again. "Wow, he's really obedient. What did you do to him, my lady? Is he the butler or the bodyguard?"

Lilith studied him. "Hmm… You already know that all Elgraid does is admit the guests and look after the servants. I think they're a slight cross of both."

Gray smiled politely, which impressed Erza. Gray was rarely good at acting. "We made a deal with Lady Lilith; Erza, Natsu and me. We can't really afford to be cast out now, so we should be whatever is most useful for her. We wouldn't want to be kicked out of Fairytail and we wouldn't want it to starve, either."

Gildarts narrowed his eyes at Lilith. "My lady?"

Lilith smiled. "Should we move to the study, Gildarts?"

They were gone in an instant, and Erza stared at Gray, who too, had no answers, it seemed.

They merely continued to stare after them, questions piling up and a flicker of a memory haunting them, over and over again.

* * *

Gray lifted his face up when the door to their rooms opened.

"Where have you been?" he asked the pink-head.

Natsu shrugged. "The library. We're allowed to use it as we want in our spare time. It's huge, and I mean really, seriously huge. I think it may be even bigger than the Magic Council's library. It's got pretty much everything."

Erza smiled. "Levi would have liked it, then."

Natsu scratched the back of his neck. "Well, the thing is, I went to see the lady, you know, to apologize and stuff." He frowned. "It seemed like a bad time to. What's Gildarts doing here? If he's this near Fairytail, wouldn't he usually go and see Cana first?"

Natsu had spoken out loud the question that Gray had been holding in.

"It seems like it's not the first time," Erza replied, nonchalant. "And he seemed worried about Lilith. He asked me if she was alright."

Gray voiced the little suspicion that had been bothering him a tiny bit. "I don't think that he's going to visit Fairytail any time soon. Maybe he'll meet with Master privately, but I don't think he's going to go be his usual self, not even to Cana."

"Do you think Mira knows?" Natsu asked.

Erza pushed her scarlet hair back. "Well, here's the thing. Lady Lilith said that Master, Mira, Gildarts and Yuki know something extra. From the Key that she used, we know that she's talking about Yukino Aguria, but she's _dead_. She left Liv all her Keys and _died_."

Natsu leaned back until he was facing the ceiling. "Yuki was Lucy's friend. She made a promise to Liv, who respected Lucy so much for becoming the legendary non-existent SS Ranker of Fairytail."

"How much do you think they know and how much do you think they're hiding from us?" Gray asked, carefully playing around with the frost from his fingers.

Erza stood, inhaling deeply. "Well, we'll know when we serve them. I never thought that I would ever have to serve another Fairytail member except on a dare or something like that."

Natsu grinned. "At least we know _someone _will be enjoying this dinner."

Gray grinned. "Shall we head over?"


	14. The Silent Dinner

"We're running late to your dinner, my lady," Gildarts said, grinning. "Your butlers are going to wait."

Lilith moved her hands down onto his muscled stomach, lightly touching it. "They're bodyguards, and they can wait. They need to learn how to be proper servants if they want to remain hired for the next couple of decades."

Gildarts flinched. "Lilith. Right there."

Lilith rolled narrowed her eyes, moving her hands back onto that spot. "I can't believe you had the guts to fly all the way here from halfway across the world with this kind of injury. You would have died if you had been a couple minutes late. You've got two _holes_ in your stomach, for crying out loud."

Gildarts laughed tiredly. "I got worried about you. It's my job as an older member of Fairytail to look after his guild member, especially if that guild member has forsaken her everything for the sake of the guild. You gave away too much."

Lilith's hand paused. "I'm not a member of Fairytail, Gildarts. I'm your sponsor. I'm God. I'm Lilith Heart, with the Core of a world inside me, with the power to bend anything into absolute obedience, whether it be a living thing, an inanimate object or even _absence_. I'm the Contractor of the Spirit King and the holder of the Thirteen Zodiac Keys. Don't confuse me with someone like Lucy Heartfilia. I'm a monster that created the Wrath."

Gildarts's gaze was flinty. "We told you over and over. That power is just vesting in you. You don't have to say it as if you were the catalyst of the Wrath."

Lilith removed her hands completely and started to bandage up his stomach and chest. "I would be a constant reminder to them that I am God, the being that destroyed Edolas. I killed so many of our precious family. I am Lilith Heart, and not a member of your guild."

Gildart caught at her hand, and before she could react, unwrapped the bandages around it, the one that Lilith had not removed in decades. "Lilith, Lilith, Lilith. What's this?"

Lilith turned away.

"This is who you are. No one will blame you. Look at it, Lucy. Look at the insignia of our proud family."

The mark had not faded.

The pink Fairytail stamp had remained, leaving on her body a piece of Lucy.

Lilith exhaled. "Wrap it up. I don't want to see it."

"Lucy. What is it like to have your closest friends become your servants?"

Lilith turned and stared at Gildarts straight in the eye. "What friends are you talking about? If you mean my new bodyguards, they're only here to save Fairytail and repay a debt. I explained it to you already."

"Don't you hate seeing someone who was like your family fearing you and bowing to you? Don't you hate to see them on their knees?"

"On the contrary," Lilith responded, "I like it better this way. We have no further connection other than mistress and bodyguards. It puts us all in or places." She grabbed the bandage from the floor and started to expertly wrap her hand up, covering up the sign. "Remember there were only _necessary_ exceptions. Just because you know who I used to be doesn't mean the rest of the world has to know."

She rose. "You're all healed, and dinner's ready."

Gildarts stared at the floor for a long moment.

His subdued reply was quiet. "I'm honoured to be invited… my lady Lilith."

Lilith closed her eyes and smiled emotionlessly, putting on her mask.

Everything was as it should be—not quite, but they were fitting back into place.

* * *

Dinner was silent, to Natsu's great disappointment.

The two did not open their mouths even just to ask for more food or drink.

Lilith did not eat at all.

Gildarts conveyed everything by small gestures.

He did not even gloat at the fact that they were serving him, which was unusual of him.

He wasn't smiling.

Gray stepped forward towards Gildarts, polite and wary. "Would you like another glass, sir?"

GIldarts flinched, as if he had been in deep thought.

Natsu narrowed his eyes.

Gildarts held up his hand, and Gray willingly poured GIldarts more drink.

Gray's eyes glinted.

He bowed as he withdrew, which was completely unnecessary.

Gray glanced at Natsu, his eyes serious.

Gildarts still hadn't laughed or teased.

Outwardly, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his meal, but they knew better than to be fooled.

Natsu watched the both of them eat.

Well, at least he watched one of them eat and one of them merely drink.

Did Lilith not ever get drunk?

In all seriousness, Natsu had to be a little curious.

He grew sober. Gildarts had put his cutlery down without finishing his lavish dinner.

He didn't say anything, and neither did Lilith.

They simply continued to stare into their wine glasses, collected and silent.

After a long, _long_ while of the same moment, as if time had ceased to flow, Lilith stood from rose from her seat, putting down her napkin.

Gildarts eyed her warily, following suit.

Lilith smiled slightly, an emotion that Natsu couldn't name flickering across her face as she swished past Gildarts. "Good night, Gildarts," she murmured, the first word that either of them had spoken during the dinner. "I'm not going back, and that's final."

With that, she disappeared out the door.


	15. The Relationships

Natsu leaned against Lilith's door, his eyes closed.

It was his turn to escort the lady as soon as the sky started bleeding.

He wasn't sure if he could keep it together.

He let himself silently collapse against the door, onto the cold, marble landing.

Lucy…

Why had she died?

What had she been sparing, to kill herself?

He had already lost so many of his precious treasures.

Lucy had been his best friend.

In the short period of time they had spent together, Lucy had, in his heart, become a friend just as precious as Happy or Erza, Gray or Levi, Cana or Lisanna, Mirajane or Elfman….

There were so many of them, wanting her, waiting for her return, mourning the one empty space that had not yet returned.

Where was Lucy?

Natsu felt the hot tears streak down his cheeks.

How did she expect him to live on if she left him too, after the many losses he had endured?

Lucy.

Lucy.

_Lucy._

_Please come back to me_.

* * *

Erza knocked at the door.

Gildarts really had rooms to himself—and it was in the second highest tower of the mansion, the first belonging to Lilith.

The whole tower was used by Gildarts specifically.

It was a very long time before the heavy door creaked open slightly. "Lilith? What are you—Oh."

Erza lifted a brow, stepping a foot in between the crack of the open door. "Yeah, it's me. It sounds like you've had the lady in your rooms before at nighttime, huh?"

Gildarts paused before grinning as usual. "D'you want to come in?"

Erza pushed aside the door, striding in confidently. "Why not?"

She stopped short as she saw the inside of the rooms.

It was… well….

"What is it?" Gildarts asked, moving over to boil a kettle of water.

"Is this your house?" Erza demanded, jabbing at the scene. "Because I swear, this is definitely your house. Why is your house in here?"

Gildarts grinned. "No, it's not that. It's just that my house and my rooms in Lilith's mansion look identical and _is_ actually identical. It's more convenient for me that way." He held up two mundane mugs. "Have a seat pretty much anywhere. I know it's a clutter. Tea?"

Erza sat herself down as carefully as she would have had done in his own, real house. It really was identical. She accepted the warm mug, tilting her head up. "Can you sit? I feel like my neck is going to pop from staring at you from this height."

Gildarts laughed and obliged, gulping from his mug. "Lilith's fancy stuff is good and all, but I really do miss this sometimes. It's a good thing she let me install my kitchen in here."

Erza studied him. "You two seem friendly."

(Gildarts lost his grin, his eyes suddenly flinty. "Friendly? In what way are we friendly? Lilith…)

Gildarts lost his smile, staring into his steaming tea. "It naturally turned out that way, after everything that happened. I never thought I would become like… this with her when I first met her."

Erza cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Gildarts smiled at her ruefully. "Yeah, you should know already. It's useless asking me that."

Erza set down her mug on an empty space on the floor. "Don't get me wrong, Gildarts. I'm not here to negotiate. I'm here to hear some answers from you."

Gildarts merely stared down at her. "Now, that's a pretty gutsy statement, even for Fairy Queen Titania."

Erza clenched her fists, but before they could start anything, they heard door once again creaked open at the end of the hallway.

"Gildarts, I can't sleep. The Wrath of God—I'm tired. I'm tired of these memories but they keep coming back. It's worse because those three are here, acting as reminders of the monster I am. Edolas… They're screaming and the worlds are burning. Natsu might die if he holds off all the flames alone, Gildarts. Stop him from dying. Erza is dying too. They want me to keep the portals open… They want me summon the Spirit King and sacrifice Edolas. I couldn't do that. Lucy couldn't do that. The nightmares are here again—" Lilith stopped short as she entered the room, her long, pale hair piled roughly on her head by combs and dressed in a straight, simple night gown of undecorated white silk that fell like a waterfall to her knees, a sheer, white cloth covering her shoulders like a shawl. "Oh."

Erza realized she was on her feet, numb.

Erza was no idiot.

She was called many names, she knew, but 'idiot' wasn't one of them.

And because she wasn't an idiot, everything settled into place, deep within the cold clutches of her stomach, throwing her entire world into a white, flashing whirlwind.

She stared at the goddess, too shocked even to cry.

"Lucy," she found herself breathing out. "Lucy… You're…"

And everything fell into blackness.


	16. The Shattered Masquerade

Lilith collapsed onto the floor, clutching her head. "No," she gasped, feeling the agony rush to her head and silent heart. "No, _no!_ Why? Why…." She screamed, wailing, letting go of everything she had held for the last two decades. The crimson flashed before her eyes, blinding her with cold fury and utter insanity, not allowing her to be the one she had been all this time.

Her heavy, platinum heart was being clawed out by the demon she had contracted with, and the spiral core of her 'self' was crumbling down, the tornado of her pasts and memories flooding up to suffocate her.

She screamed again, this time wordless yet delivering all her emotions in one voice. The emotions she had locked away in a chest that she had buried deep insider her were all flying out, the thousands of locks all broken and useless.

The earth rumbled slightly.

The Exceeds in Extalia, her friends in Edolas, and her family and world in Earth Land…

All of them were crashing together, beating like drums in her ears.

She trembled against the wooden floor, barely aware of the now-conscious Erza yelling frantically at Natsu and Gray, who had rushed up at the scream.

Gildarts was trying to claw at her, to raise her up and return her to normal.

Chaos reigned in Lilith—no, was she Lucy?

Lilith and Lucy both opened their eyes, crying icy tears and scalding blood, staring full in the face of their demon, the past that haunted them, the truth that could never be denied again.

They had tried so desperately to hide, to stay away…

They despised the terrible fate that had been given to them at birth.

They were the power, the existence that had caused the two worlds so much pain.

They were what had abandoned one world by their own selfishness.

No—it wasn't 'they' at all.

It was the work of one, single monster.

Only one of them was real—and that was Lucy Heartfilia.

Lucy stared at her reflection, in the pool of her shattered mind. Lilith stared back at her—no. Lilith was someone Lucy had made up.

It was _God_ that stared back at her, _God_ in its full, powerful existence.

And Lucy had to bear it again, endure it again, start again from the very beginning...

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes, shivering.

She slowly sat up, feeling ragged.

They were all watching her.

She flung out her arm, feeling the deathly, frozen fury whirl inside her.

The silver knives immediately shot out with brute force, pinning Gildarts to the wall.

"Explain to me _why_ you had to tell them everything," she snarled quietly, still staring down at the bed and the ragged pieces of white-blond hair that fell out of her combs. "You better not miss a detail, because if the explanation doesn't satisfy me, I don't know what I'll do."

She could feel his gaze on her.

He knew fully well that he couldn't win, yet did not speak a word.

She flicked a finger, and another knife shot out.

Erza leaped up, re-quipping to block the knife, but with Lucy's power of God, the knife merely passed through the sword, stabbing itself firmly into Gildarts's stomach.

"I'm waiting," Lucy continued, finally raising her face a bit to look at him, her eyes half-lidded.

Gildarts's muscles were clenched, trying to numb out the pain that was being inflicted by the power that forced out absolute obedience from any existence.

His voice cords were straining, yet he still would not make a sound.

Lucy slowly and blankly turned to stare at the three wizards. "Don't try and defy God, Erza. It's futile."

"Lu…cy…" Gray breathed out, as if he was finally able to work his throat. "Lucy."

Natsu stood alone, his face shadowed. He didn't say anything. He refused to look at her.

Lucy touched her throat lightly, closing her eyes. "Gildarts, I wasn't very patient before and I'm not patient now. You should explain before you die."

Natsu abruptly pushed himself off the wall, leaping at her and punching at her face, hard.

Lucy waited for the slight pressure to subdue before looking up at him.

He was raging. "What's your problem? Before he has to explain anything to you, _you_ have to explain everything to _us_. You were supposed to, anyway. We heard it all from Gildarts, but you know that already." He grabbed the front of her gown, lifting her. "We won't blame you. Nobody blames you. A family is for sharing the pain. Did you think it would be better for us if we had no idea?"

Lucy stared, feeling hollow. She knew she was trembling.

She grabbed the fist that had hit her and didn't let go, hanging on as if it was her lifeline. "It was to save myself," she spoke, her voice blocked with tears. "Fairytail was just an excuse. There is no way that I would put myself through any kind of pain for the sake of others because I'm a selfish and inconsiderate being called God. There is no way that I have anything left in me to sacrifice myself for someone else. That's impossible. I _know_ that all this was just to spare myself…"

"From what?" Natsu snarled. "You're lying to yourself and us both, Lucy. Being Lilith only does you harm and puts you in the illusion of helping us. This was all for us, but we didn't want it. Stop thinking that you are the emptiness that we call God, because the only difference between you and the rest of the human race is that you suffered much more. We can help you. We can _prepare_ you to come back to us." Natsu fell down onto his knees next to her bed, his eyes pleading, his hands grasping at hers. "Come back to us. Please, please, _please_ come back to us. Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Please. We missed you."

Lucy stared at them all—and slowly started crying, letting out her emotions once again, quietly this time, embracing the sense of relief and love that protected her once again.

Things were not as it should be, but it was alright.

It was what she wanted.

She was a selfish person, just as all other humans.

That was fine.

That was alright.


End file.
